We analyzed the remastering of Mafia 2 in its Definitive Edition. D3T Limited has been commissioned to give Empire Bay a new improved face.
It is already among us. The final announcement of Mafia: Trilogy has left us the immediate availability of part of its complete offer. Vito Scaletta returns a generation later to show himself up-to-date. A decade separates us since the young Sicilian took the stage during the equator of Xbox 360 and PS3.
Mafia 2: Definitive Edition is what we can expect from a remastering, no more and no less. Behind the scenes, D3T Limited, an experienced studio in this type of work, such as the set-up of the first two Shenmue, among others. This is what Empire Bay looks like in 2020.
American dream
Europe still felt the post-war shocks of the first quarter of the 20th century. World War I shook the socioeconomic environment of a continent that did not see the light at the end of the tunnel. The United States was in charge. Despite the great depression of the 1930s and the deep crisis of 1929, the eagle still had the strength to sell the great American dream.
Vito and his family chased him like so many other Italian immigrants. However, what they found in this fictional New York reenactment was not the promises overseas. A few small crimes ended up locking him in jail as a teenager, shortly after being part of the front in full 1943.
The common axis of the Mafia narrative is how personal circumstances force its protagonists to take the path of organized crime. Except for Lincoln's adventure (led by revenge), both Tommy and Vito were ordinary people who ended up being corrupted "by the family".
Already in the early 2000s the saga opted for a different way of seeing the open world. The realism and the coherence with the setting were signs that extended to the sequel. Although it was more lax than the original, especially in terms of driving is concerned, the gameplay was according to the times. TPS of action closer to static combat, of usable coverage above the dynamic, which would come along with the evolution of the genre.
In 2010 our current editorial coordinator, Francisco Alberto Serrano, praised the script: “The story, the characters and the setting of the game are extraordinary, full of brilliant touches, surprises and details that make this title a worthwhile experience”. Now, he pointed out that it was necessary to be clear "what kind of game is being talked about and what kind of experience is going to be found". Freedom? Yes, but always under the rhythm of the script, which reduced the amount of secondary entertainment around the city. You can read our original review here.
Remastering
The Reviews has been carried out based on the PC version. In it, the graphic adjustments are similar to the original, with the exception that now we can select the type of antialiasing and if we include AA post-processing. The full window and the possibility to limit the frame rate have also been included, in case you do not need vertical synchronization.
The truth is that in the comparison there is not such a big difference. What has been most improved has been the lighting, realistic according to the hourly situation. For example, the opening moments with Joe in Chapter 2 speak for themselves. The textures have more nuances and are of higher resolution, the geometry gains in complexity and the night is finally full night. The chromatic aberration can be modified from the screen prior to the start of the game.
The models undergo a rise in quality that is appreciated. Joe's pendant remains attached to the same texture as his skin, an anecdote that contrasts with the increased resolution. We did not find optimization problems. With a GTX 970 G1 graphic we can move it to more than 60 images per second in a stable way with all the options at maximum and MSAA x2. It only suffers from falls at the same points as the original: on the highways when changing districts.
Not everything is on the same level. There are several textures that do not seem to load, or that are below the work of others. Wood coverings or certain interiors tarnish what is seen on the asphalt, junkyard, etc. And it's a shame. 4K compatibility allows that user base to enjoy the best version of remastering.
The rest of Mafia 2: Definitive Edition takes weight for the inclusion of all the downloadable content released during its commercial stage, both campaigns and vehicles and extra clothing. The Bretrayal of Jimmy, Jimmy’s Vendetta and Joe’s Adventures can be selected from the start in the main menu.
Remastering is not without its problems. Sound is sometimes lost, especially when firing automatic weapons. Some facial expressions stop working in full dialogue, although it is very rare that it happens. Most of the bugs we have found consisted of playable bugs such as losing coverage or the reload animation not working. Hangar 13 has worked on a day one patch that fixes some issues in the pre-release version.
CONCLUSION
Mafia 2: Definitive Edition is a fantastic opportunity to relive or discover the adventures of Vito Scaletta around Empire Bay. The work of 2k Czech adapts to PS4, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia improving the present and making the image more powerful than in its day. Of course, at least on a computer, the differences between the original and the remastering are reduced compared to the console version. Lighting improvements are the main factor that turns the balance towards the work of D3T Limited. It contains all the downloadable content of the original, including the three additional campaigns. Players who have Mafia 2 on Steam will receive their copy of the definitive edition at no additional cost.
THE BEST
- Adapted to current times: 4K functions and extensive graphic adjustments on PC.
- Improvements in lighting make scenes come alive.
- Impeccable optimization.
- Contains all additional content from the original.
WORST
- Some poor textures, others do not load …
- Small bugs in sound and animations.
- It is not a big jump between the original version and the remastering on PC.
Good
It meets the expectations of what is a good game, it has quality and does not have serious flaws, although it lacks elements that could have taken it to higher levels.
